Lifting the veil on the process behind one of the most premium releases of the year, we ventured into Nike’s Montebelluna factory in Italy to get a close up look at some craft masters at work, as they constructed the ultra-premium Nike Tiempo Legend IX ‘Made in Italy’ before our very eyes.
40 miles south-east of Venice is a small town dwarfed by the nearby Dolomites mountain range in the Southern Alps. Home to approximately 30,000 people, it’s a population that’s immersed in the art of shoemaking. This is Montebelluna, the home of Nike’s craft masters; a small but dedicated team who live and breathe the Swoosh, their days are spent carefully crafting elite Nike boots, often for the world’s elite players. See, this is where the world's best get their boots custom-made, with 1/4 and 3/4 sizes created to ensure that perfect fit, and with no two lasts the same.
Now, the doors to the famous factory have opened for SoccerBible once more, as, in partnership with Pro:Direct Soccer, we enjoyed unprecedented access to the construction process behind the brand new special edition Nike Tiempo Legend IX ‘Made in Italy’.
Released earlier this week, the Nike Tiempo Legend IX ‘Made in Italy’ takes aesthetic inspiration from the Air Legend from 2006 that Andrea Pirlo wore when he won the World Cup of the same year.
Digging beneath the surface and the boot has been constructed from the most premium Algeria leather. The leather is untreated, which gives the boot its distinctive grey colour. That’s then joined by chrome in the soleplate as a nod to the Air Legend’s grey and silver plate. Strong stitch lines standout across the upper, while that trademark Swoosh flies from the heel down the lateral side in blue. And checking that heel, you’ll find a nice callout to Montebelluna itself, along with a small Italian flag tab.
The Tiempo Legend IX ‘Made in Italy’ is as close to a work of art as you’re likely to get in boot form, and it’s a testament to the Italian craftsmanship that resides at Montebelluna. So sit back, relax, and take a visual journey through the boot’s creation, showing each step in the process in crystal clarity. Like getting to peak in Santa's workshop, just with less elves...
Pick up the Nike Tiempo Legend IX 'Made in Italy' at prodirectsoccer.com
